Benedict College Receives Additional Funding from NPS to Help Preserve African American Civil Rights History
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Posted By: Kennedy Williams on June 15, 2022 Benedict College will receive a $500,00 grant from the National Park Service to continue its rehabilitation efforts on historic Morgan Hall thanks to an African American Civil Rights grant for the Morgan Hall Preservation Project Phase II. The grant is important in helping to preserve critical narratives of the people, places, and events associated with the African American Civil Rights movement. “Buildings like Morgan Hall are a rare treasure that contain a wealth of institutional history,” said Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, President, and CEO of Benedict College. “I am grateful to the National Park Service for their commitment to helping the College to preserve its historic buildings. Built in 1895, Morgan Hall is the former home of five Benedict College presidents and the current home of Institutional Advancement.” Benedict College, a private, Historically Black College in Columbia, South Carolina plans to use the $500,000 grant from the National Park Service to implement the Morgan Hall Preservation Project II. Morgan Hall is one of five buildings in the College’s Historic District. The district was placed on the National Register on April 23, 1987, and it has played a significant role in the African American civil rights story and the struggle for equality. The structure has distinct characteristics of the late Victorian time-period with a gable and hip roof, wrap around porch, and corbeled chimneys. The primary goal is to architecturally and structurally preserve the historic resource by mitigating the threat of water infiltration. The objective is to refurbish the close to 50 windows located throughout the building by accomplishing the following activities: (1) repairing chipping and decaying windowsills and frames and (2) weather proofing windows. Morgan Hall is the oldest of the Historic District’s buildings and was constructed in 1895. Since its erection, Morgan Hall has been the visual representation of Benedict College signifying its founding, the present, and the future. It was constructed with a $9,000 contribution from the American Baptist Home Mission Society and was named in honor of Thomas J. Morgan, a former executive secretary of the American Baptist Home Mission Society and editor of the Society’s influential Home Mission Monthly. Morgan was instrumental in the establishing the technical departments at Benedict. He encouraged HBCUs in to create programs for Blacks to become architects, artists, engineers, and master mechanics. From 1895 – 1965, the building served as home to five Presidents: Rev. Abraham Osborn (1895 – 1911), Rev. Byron W. Valentine (1911- 1921), Dr. Clarence B. Antisdel (1921 – 1930), Dr. John H. Starks (1930 – 1944), and Dr. John Alvin Bacoats (1944 – 1965). Morgan Hall housed classrooms and offices from 1965-1987 and was then closed pending renovations. It now houses the Division of Institutional Advancement, which welcomes members of the community daily. Benedict College, and subsequently Morgan Hall, played a significant role in the African American Civil Rights Movement and the struggle for equality before, during, and after segregation. The institution’s founding is an example of the pattern of educating newly emancipated slaves after Reconstruction. During the plight of racial discrimination, the institution served as one of the most significant centers of black activities in the city of Columbia. SOURCE Benedict College If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Kennedy Williams
From Loganville, GA Spelman College class of 2020 Member Since July 2016 |
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